We’re far enough along to announce publication of my fifth book about manufactured housing & landlease (nee manufactured home) communities. This one has the longest, but entirely apt, title for any such non – fiction business book text to date:

The book will debut at the RV/MH Heritage Foundation’s Hall of Fame Induction Banquet, in Elkhart, IN., the evening of 1 August 2011. Invitations to this annual event are almost ‘in the mail’, but if you don’t receive one by mid – June, and desire to join 400 of your manufactured housing and recreational vehicle peers at the industry’s Social Event of the Year, phone (800) 378-8694 or (574) 293-2344 for tickets.
Frankly, ‘anyone who’s anyone’ in these sister industries and asset class, will be present that evening, to tour the museum and library, hobnob with business leaders and industry pioneers from throughout the U.S., and honor the Class of 2011 as they’re inducted into the prestigious RV/MH Hall of Fame.

If you thought the 22nd ALLEN REPORT (a.k.a. ‘Who’s Who Among Landlease Community Portfolio Owners/operators in North America!’) was a ‘good read’, earlier this year, you haven’t seen anything yet! How so? Here’re chapter titles of the new book, as they pre – press appear today:

• How I Got My Start in the Landlease Community Business

• ‘Retrospective to 1988’, first published in 2008, updated in 2011.

• Overview of the Landlease Community Realty Asset Class

• Signature Series Resource Documents

• The Affordable Housing Component

• Summary

Any surprises? Suppose that depends on your business perspective and related matters.

For example, this sentence from the Preface will likely get some folk’s blood – a – flowing, either in hopeful anticipation, or by dint of abject frustration: “To a growing number of manufactured housing purists and aficionados, the industry’s return to affordable housing is likely its’ only possible salvation….”

And this triple mystery in the Dedication: “This book is dedicated, in sincere personal appreciation, to three men who’ve never met.” Here’re three hints: One got me started in this business. One Ensured Landlease Community Owners/operators Nationwide Advanced to Where We Are Today – Without Them Even Realizing It. And One is a Manufactured Housing Manager® known to ‘Manage his landlease community like he owns it!’

That’s all I want to pen about the new book at this time. But trust me when I say, You’ll want to be among the first to obtain a copy, as it’s chock full of information about our unique income – producing property type – unavailable anywhere else! We haven’t set a price on it yet, and will likely limit the print run to 500 copies; which if anything like the 22nd ALLEN REPORT, it too will nearly sell out within a few months of its’ release. Speaking of the ALLEN REPORT, if you’re reading these lines, and have yet to acquire and read/use ‘your copy’, this Special Offer is still in effect: For $250.00, receive a copy of the 22nd ALLEN REPORT, and one year subscription to the Allen Letter professional journal! Simply phone the MHIndustry HOTLINE: (877) MFD-HSNG or 633-4764 or (317) 346-7156 and order it using a credit card. We have a few dozen still in inventory.

later, in future blog postings at this website, and via press releases in our newsletters.

II.

Remember the blog posting in early April, titled: CONSPIRACY THEORISTS, GATHER YE AROUND! – ? We sure do. Not a week goes by that blog floggers (readers) don’t contact me by email and phone, to share personal and unique spins on ‘The Great, and Greater Conspiracies’ described back then. But there hasn’t been much ‘new news’, along these lines, until recently….

What’s emerging today is the growing consensus, We’re an industry likened to a ship without a rudder, drifting aimlessly on the still – troubled waters of our national economy, languishing (new) housing market, and no new sources of third party chattel capital. These inquirers routinely ask, ‘When will manufactured housing leaders caucus nationally, agree on a workable plan, and give our industry practical focus toward the future?’ (Excuse me when I point out how that very question reads akin to sentiment expressed by landlease community owners/operators prior to the first of two National State of the Asset Class (‘NSAC’) caucuses; first held 2/27/2009 in Tampa, FL, second on 2/27/2010 in Elkhart, IN. Hmm.) Might there be a timely and pointed message or suggestion here; like, ‘What was good for the goose, might well be good for the gander as well?’ Sure don’t want to wait till 2/27/2012 for next NSAC caucus, but ‘What the hey.’

Frankly, I don’t see the matter really that dire – yet. I believe we have capable, experienced, motivated elected and salaried manufactured housing leaders in place! Hopefully they’re already looking to the future in our behalf, articulating a recovery plan of sorts – though I haven’t heard any requests for ‘input from (us) grassroots folk’ yet. But know what’s sorely missing from the recovery equation, though rarely discussed – if and when the time arrives to ‘go public’ with ‘a plan’? The method(s) by which such a plan is effectively published or broadcast, is severely limited at this time. How so? Neither MHARR or MHI have general trade broadcast ability to non – members; the Merchandiser, Modern Home, and Automated Builder magazines are gone; the Allen Letter professional journal & the Allen CONFIDENTIAL! are limited circulation, subscriber – supported newsletters; and, The Journal, in this industry observer’s opinion, rarely seeks out and publishes trade NEWS beyond two, sometimes sparring, columns penned by MHI & MHARR executives. Those avenues simply won’t get the job done! Only means left, are online ezines which, as good as they’ve become this past year, have yet to realize the stature afforded major journalistic media publishing hard news. So, all those communication constraints combine as ‘one more severe hindrance to our industry’s recovery’.

But that’s not the only ‘conspiracy news’ (i.e. Conspiracy being, “Why isn’t this plan happening? Someone waiting to build market share on the back of their peers”, etc..) that we’re hearing these days. No, we’re also being asked weekly, “Who will be researching the ALLEN REPORT this Fall; Who will compile the landlease community portfolio data; and, Who will publish the new 23rd edition in January 2012?” And that’s not all, lenders and other landlease community owners/operators regularly inquire about continuation of the annual (realty) lenders’ registry they’ve happily referenced, for free, these past 13 years; and ask, “Who will publish the Allen Letter professional journal?” The conspiracy theorists pose this question? “Why isn’t this happening? Someone waiting to cannibalize our resources, and silence the open communication we’ve enjoyed for 20 years?” It doesn’t help when I decry knowledge of any conspiracies; these folk have their own ideas. What ‘good news’ I can offer, however, is there won’t be any significant change in authorship, between now and the end of the year – except for the possible addition of a partner intent on improving the ALLEN REPORT package of information and statistics. But it’s a little early yet, to tell you more details than that.

III.

Miss the MHCongress in Las Vegas? Get a taste of it by going to youtube.com/watch?y=uj3RE1DnnLI Here, Suzanne Felber, Lifestylist® has put together a collage of interviews with various MHIndustry leaders. Well worth watching! Suzanne will be at the Triple Anniversary, Networking Roundtable in San Antonio, TX., @ 14 – 16 September, teaching LLCommunity folk how to effectively furnish, accessorize, and ‘show’ new Community Series Homes on – site in our communities. For information on the Roundtable, phone the MHIndustry HOTLINE listed in para. I.

Did you catch Marisa Murrow’s manufactured housing and landlease community – themed artwork (i.e. paintings & miniature ‘mobile homes’) at the MHCongress? Whether you did or not, it’s worth a visit to her website: http://www.marisamurrow.com

IV.

Looking for something not terribly exciting but maybe necessary to do, on Tuesday, June 7, 2011, from 8AM to 5:30PM? Well, if you’re a HUD Code home manufacturer, and want a piece of future disaster housing production action, you’ll be at the U.S. Access Board, located at 1331 F. Street, NW., Washington, DC. 20004. Registration is required by Friday, June 3, and only one person per firm. To register, email FEMA-Industry@dhs.gov, and on SUBJECT line, put: ‘Small Footprint THU Industry Day Registration’, and include company name, address, attendee name, phone number, and email address. Have questions? Phone (202) 646-1895 between 8AM & 4PM EDT, workdays. I’m even considering attending. If we don’t take this opportunity to input FEMA’s design for future housing product, who’ve we got to blame if we don’t like what they decide? This is a good example of the old bromide: ‘If you’re not part of the solution, you’re likely part of the problem!’ Think about it, and ‘if the house fits’, attend the ‘Small Footprint THU Industry Day’ in Washington, DC., all day Tuesday, June 7, 2011. For more information, phone Lois Stuckey @ MHI: (703) 558-0600.

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ANNOUNCEMENT. As most veteran manufactured housing and landlease community businessmen and women know, the annual International Networking Roundtable is a ‘by invitation only’ event planned primarily for LLCommunity owners/operators and realty and chattel loan originators. We only exercise the Allen Letter professional journal subscriber list, and our exclusive, confidential data base of 500+/- property portfolio owners/operators, when sending out invitations each year. SO, if you want to attend this year’s Triple Anniversary, 20th annual Networking Roundtable, but haven’t been selected as one of the two dozen presenters, inquire as to sponsorship opportunities, and or an invitation to attend as a LLCommunity owner/operator. Phone (317) 346-7156 to do so.